Holy Guacamole!

The kids love guacamole.  Thanks to Aunt Mindy for putting it in front of them!

This guacamole is good stuff.  -- Ashley

Vegetables?  Nah.  Potato chips are tastier!

Visiting NY

This past weekend we visited Babushka Tsira in NY.  The sun was shining -- and it wasn't snowing!  If that isn't a reason to take photos, I don't know what is.

Carousing on a Carousel

When thinking of the title for today's blog post, I'm now wondering about the roots of the word "carousel" and why it's geared toward tikes.  Yikes!  

Ashley and Adam had a blast on their first carousel ride this past weekend when we visited family in NY.  Thanks to Uncle Harvey for taking the photos while we whirled away.  

Update:  My curiosity got the best of me and I looked up the root of both "carousel" and "carouse".  Turns out they have nothing to do with each other.  Whew!

ca·rouse

 [kuh-rouz] verb, ca·roused,ca·rous·ing, noun

verb (used without object)

1.

to engage in a drunken revel: They caroused all night.

2.

to drink deeply and frequently.

noun

3.

carousal.

Origin: 
1550–60;  variant of garouse  < German gar aus  ( trinken ) (to drink)fully out, i.e. drain the cup; compare Middle French carous  < dialectalGerman gar ūs

car·ou·sel

 [kar-uh-sel, kar-uh-sel] 

noun

1.

merry-go-round (  def 1 ) .

2.

a continuously revolving belt, track or other device on which items are placed for later retrieval: a baggage carousel atan airport.

Origin: 
1640–50;  < French:  kind of tournament < Italian carosello  kind of ballgame < Neapolitan dialect carusello  game played with clay balls, clayball, literally, little head, equivalent to carus ( o ) shorn head (perhapsbased on the Greek  stem kors-  shave) + -ello  diminutive suffix

Can be confused: carousel, carousal.

Slip Slidin' Away

Last Saturday we took the A-team to check out a nearby playground.  There was an area designed for 2-5 year old children which was an instant hit with the citizens.

And we finished out the afternoon on the swings.  Neither Ashley nor Adam wanted to leave.

Tales from the Tank

According to my watch, it's time to eat.

I wonder what's on the menu today?  -- Ashley
We just ate lunch.  How are you hungry again? -- Adam

Ok, lemme check what we have in the tank. -- Adam

When I'm hungry, I nibble on my dog's ears.  Yum! -- Adam
Yikes!  Check please! -- Ashley

Weekend Breakfast

 'Tis the season for maple syrup in New England!  The citizens have finally learned that it can be fun to dip your foods into sauces to add new flavors.   Besides, pancakes are a fun way to start the day.  

Homeschooling, Lesson #8

This week our homeschooling efforts focused on culinary skills.  If you watch the video long enough you'll see that they are learning how to share, if nothing else.

Lovin' the Lox

Sunday morning means bagels in our home.  Usually MLD and I have bagels and lox;  the citizens have (until today) preferred their bagels straight up, no cream cheese or lox.  

When I sat down with my breakfast today, they both went bonkers!  They didn't want to sample a piece of lox -- they each wanted half a bagel with lox and cream cheese.  So I gave it to them, wondering what might happen:

To our utter and complete surprise... they ate it.  All.  Remember, these are kids who don't like fish sticks.

And once Adam picked all of the lox off of his half, he asked for more.  Looks like we'll be adding fish to the weekend breakfast menu.

Postprandial Play

Between the end of dinner and the start of bath time, Adam and Ashley gravitate toward the kitchen.  They open drawers, clean the floors, and generally have a ball.

Who needs the basement?

Sometimes I'm not sure why we moved all of the citizens' toys to the basement.  They seem to be very happy horsing around in the living room.

Kitchen

Lots of fun to be had in the kitchen.  And every now and then, the camera is quick enough to catch the citizens.

This straw cup is more fun than my toys!

Doggie in the mouth.

Breakfast in PJs

Eating breakfast in pjs is fun because it means getting messy.  As you'll see, Adam understands this better than Ashley.  

Spinners

Adam is mesmerized by adult kitchen items:  the "ma!" (mop), "boom" (broom) and the salad spinner (which he has yet to name).  Ashley just thinks it's plain ol' fun.

Maw, Please

For some time now, Adam has spoken the word "more" like a true New Yawka -- he says "maw".  Seems like his pronunciation is catching on with Ashley.

Cup o' Water

A cup of water is as good a place to start as any when you're trying to teach toddlers to drink from a cup.  Water is easy to clean up!

Yo Babies

Adam and Ashley are getting better at feeding themselves.  If they really enjoy a particular food, like the yogurt in this clip, then there's even a few moments of quiet for me.